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By: Douglas Zorrilla
Published On: July 13, 2017On June 12, 2017, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released a new Global Talent Stream that will help Canadian business to fill employment gaps and attract skilled foreign workers.
Our Immigration Consultant Diploma alumni, Douglas Zorrilla, shares key insights into the Global Talent Stream that can help employers and potential immigrants have a better understanding of this new initiative.
IRCC's indicates that the Global Skills Strategy can help employers get workers faster due to the following factors:
The Global Talent Stream (GTS) has two categories:
A high-profile employer that is in need of a unique and specialized talent may be eligible for this category. They need to be referred to the GTS by one of the Employment Social Development Canada's (ESDC) designated referral partners.
It is important to note that foreign workers must meet the following “unique and specialized talent” definition to qualify for this category:
The list of designated partners includes the following organizations (as of June 12, 2017):
Alternatively, employers may hire a highly-skilled foreign worker without a referral from the above-mentioned organizations, provided that the foreign worker is a highly skilled worker in one of the following occupations:
|
National Occupations Classification (NOC) Code |
Occupation |
Minimum wage requirement (annual salary) |
Minimum wage requirement (hourly rate) |
| 0213 | Computer and information systems managers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2147 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultants | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2172 | Database analysts and data administrators | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2173 | Software engineers and designers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2174 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2175 | Web designers and developers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2241 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | $81,000 or higher prevailing wage | $38.94 or higher prevailing wage |
| 2283 | Information systems testing technicians | $78,000 or higher prevailing wage | $37.50 or higher prevailing wage |
| Sub-set of 5241* | Digital media designers
*in addition to the position having an annual salary of at least $80,000 ($38.46 per hour) or the prevailing wage (if the prevailing wage is higher), the position must require a minimum of five years of industry experience and require at least one of the following skills or experiences: 3D modeling; virtual and augmented reality; animation, level editing, editor and pipeline software and tools in applicable industry; and, other specialized knowledge of software framework in applicable industry (for example, Unreal 3.0). |
A mandatory requirement for both categories is for the employer to prepare a Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP) rather than a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
In addition, foreign national workers will be eligible for priority processing with a target of two-week processing if they submitted their e-application on June 12, 2017 or later and met one of the following criteria:
Given that the GTS has been released recently, it remains uncertain how easy it will be to obtain a referral to the GTS from one of the above-listed designated partners. Also, greater compliance will be expected from the employer with the new LMBP, as the employer will need to commit to greater obligations than those established under the LMIA. While this stream is restricted to certain occupations, it will certainly benefit labour shortages in high-tech sectors.
Written by Douglas Zorrilla
Douglas Zorrilla is a foreign-trained lawyer, currently working as a senior paralegal for a national law firm in Vancouver. Douglas is also an RCIC, having worked for a boutique immigration law firm and previously for a large law firm (both located in downtown Vancouver). Douglas is assisting corporate and individuals clients in a variety immigration matters. He is a National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) candidate, working on meeting the requirements for a Certificate of Qualification to seek admission to the Law Society of British Columbia.
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